Page 73 of All That She Needs

"Father, I don't know if you can understand this, as feelings never fucking mattered to you, but I agreed to the divorce because I love her," I replied, holding back my frustration. "I was hurting her, and I couldn't keep doing that. My mistakes were irreversible. I lost her trust, and I know I can't get it back. I won't force her to live a life filled with worry, suspicion, and heartbreak, or turn her into Mother. I'm not you, and I don't want to become you."

I stood up, leaning forward over the desk with my hands resting on the table, looking down at him. "The only way you can kick me out, Father, is by buying my share, and given your finances, I doubt you can afford it." I silently thanked my late grandad for being so thorough in his will, securing my rights to my share in a way my father couldn't contest. "Even if you had the funds, I wouldn't make it easy for you. I will fight you for this, and I'll do whatever it takes to win. This company is a legacy passed down from Grandad to you and then to me, and I'll ensure it goes to Kayden and Chloe—if theywant it. My responsibility is to prepare the company for their future."

I rounded the table and walked toward the door, opening it with determination. My father wouldn't get the upper hand this time. "If there's nothing else to discuss, I have work to finish." I paused at the threshold and glanced back at him. "Goodbye, Father. Send my regards to Mother. It's been so long since I've seen her that she might have forgotten she has a son."

Part 35: Asha

A month had passed since the divorce, and I hadn't expected it to hit me this hard. I'd been firm about it, convinced there was no way back for Aiden and me—and I still hadn't changed my mind. But twenty years... it's a long time to let someone go. Facing that reality, the finality of it, felt like a punch in the gut. It broke me.

For so long, I'd let hurt and resentment drive me, almost believing that once the papers were signed, relief would come, maybe even happiness. But instead, there was an emptiness, a reminder that the life I'd built had come apart. I'd told myself freedom would feel straightforward, uncomplicated. Instead, I was left sorting through fragments I hadn't expected to miss, and wondering if I'd ever feel whole again.

I looked at the empty spaces left behind—the other side of the bed, the quiet moments that used to hold our conversations, the sounds that had gradually disappeared from our home. Oddly, I missed those memories. I'd thought they'd feel like burdens I'd be glad to let go of. But now, in their absence, they felt like lingering parts of a story I needed a little more strength to let go.

It was ironic because he hadn't slept there for months, not since he moved out. And even before that, he'd already been absent in the ways that mattered. Those parts of him were given to someone else.

The hardest part was facing the fact that, despite everything, I was still hurting. Even in his absence, Aiden's presence lingered, and somehow, he could still hurt me.

I didn't forget that he cheated on me. I didn't forget that he fell in love with another woman. I didn't forget that he was lying. I didn't forget that he was a fucking asshole.

I still hated him with every fiber of my being.

But the pain was still there, and that truth had knocked me out of my feet.

Work couldn't make me forget the pain. Gardening didn't help, either. Not even time with Liam could make it disappear.

One night, I was so distraught that Isneaked into Chloe's room at night and slipped into bed beside her, just to find some warmth and comfort in holding her. In that moment, I realized just how emotionally unsteady I'd become.

I needed time and space to mourn the loss of a man who had once felt like half my soul, to regroup, and find the strength to stand on my own. I hadn't even given myself a moment to breathe after months of betrayal and the sudden end of it all.

Come to think of it, my kids hadn't had much time to adjust to the new reality either. Between their packed school schedules and exams, they hadn't had a moment to catch their breath. Chloe especially, who was the last to accept that her father wasn't coming back to live with us. She needed a break from all of this.

"Asha." I glanced over at my brother Mason, sitting on my right. We were on the couch in my living room, the three of us, with me in the middle, slouched and rested our heads on the backrest. "Your thinking's too loud. Talk to me."

"Not in the mood to talk," I mumbled.

"Tell us, Asha," Max chimed in. "Sitting there buzzing with anxiety and glaring at the door isn't going to help."

"I am not glaring at the door," I grumbled.

"You are," they both said in unison.

"Just let me glare at the door. Leave me alone."

Max sighed. "You need to let it out, Asha. Holding it all in will only make you feel worse."

I didn't know how I could feel any worse than this. Truly. I crossed my arms and sank deeper into the couch, avoiding their concerned stares. "Can't you just let me sit here in peace?"

"The divorce wrecked you. Broke you apart," Mason said casually, as though he were commenting on the weather instead of my emotional state. And as he had too many times to count, he knew exactly what I was thinking. "You need to admit that before you can even think about healing." Then, as if he'd read my mind, he added, "Say it out loud, Asha. Just thinking it in your head doesn't count."

I shot him a glare, irritation sparking. Triplet bonds. Sometimes, they sensed too much, cutting through my defenses, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

When I didn't respond, Mason continued, "You didn't expect to feel like this now that it's over. You thought you were stronger."

I sighed, conceding. He was right, yet again.

Then Max chimed in, "It made you feel like shit, and you hated Aiden even more because of it."

I sank lower into my seat.

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